Pokemon Mystery Dungeon-Team Bounty
by Anonimous Pen
Summary: Set after PMD Explorers of Darkness. The world was saved from being paralyzed, but Mystery Dungeons still exist. With the next generation of explorer teams signing up, will two life-long friends Sparky and Shade be able to not only succeed in their life choice as bounty hunters but come to terms with each other, and secret feelings when most Pokemon are heavily against it? SLASHFIC
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Bounty

Hello, everyone! Here's the first chapter for my PMD fic! Before we start, though, there's just a couple things to say. First, this isn't a game-based one, so far as storyline. Rather, it's set after the events of Explorers of Darkness, the version that I have. And, it's not the main characters either, although they'll be in it (again, those from my version and quiz/choice). Instead, we're gonna be following the adventures of a new Team, who were inspired by the saving of the world to start their own!

Now, enough talking from me, and here we are! The beginning of the exploits for Team Bounty!

I do not own anything of Pokémon. If I did, then the games would be severely different.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Speech"=Talking

*Speech*=Thoughts

-_Speech_-=Telepathy

**Speech**= Rescue/Outlaw fliers

Kangaskhan looked up from the counter of her shop, smiling as she saw a Nidoqueen approaching. In her arms were a Pichu and a Sneasel, both obviously small and young. She waved at the Nidoqueen, who smiled as she set the two young Pokemon on the counter.

"Hello, Kangaskhan. I was wondering if you would be able to take these two for the day again?" Kangaskhan nodded, smiling down at the two infants as they looked up, smiling at her in return.

"Of course, sweetie. Since the Temporal Event, there's been a baby boom due to the relative increase in safety, so I opened a day care out back recently. Chansey couldn't cope with babies and the Eggs, so I offered my help to her. You're welcome to go round and drop them off; I'll be keeping an eye on them." Nidoqueen smiled again, before picking up the two infants.

"Thanks, Kangaskhan. How do you watch them?" Kangaskhan turned to the back of her shop, opening a door there. Visible through the doorway was an enclosed area with fences, an area with thick, soft grass and a pond in the corner. There was a sandy area in the opposite corner, and several Pokemon babies were playing, sleeping or talking in there.

"Oh, wow. You really did get some help from Chansey. It looks so nice." Nidoqueen walked around to the back of the shop, leaning over the fence and setting the two infants down. The looked up at her as she hugged them, smiling.

"You two be good, OK? I'll be back when I've finished my shopping." The Sneasel nodded, as the Pichu nuzzled her. She ruffled their hair between the ears, before standing and leaving. The two infants looked at each other, before turning and walking towards several other Pokemon.

Kangaskhan rushed out back, through the door and closed it as she heard shouting. There was a Houndour pup fighting the Sneasel, both of them slapping at the other. The Pichu was doing the same with a Poochyena. Kangaskhan walked over, pushing them apart gently, and holding them apart.

"What's wrong?" The Sneasel looked up, before pointing at the Houndour.

"She's making fun of us, because we don't know our parents." The Houndour feigned innocence, which didn't fool Kangaskhan.

"Pyrah. You've been told before, it's not nice to make fun of other Pokemon." The Houndour shrugged, before looking away.

"So? It's true, they don't…" Kangaskhan sighed, before going over to a large tree stump off to the side of the area and sitting down.

"OK, kids! How about a story to calm you all down?" There was a chorus of excited and happy cheers as all of the infants ran over, sitting at her feet and looking up with wide expectant eyes, full of happiness and innocence.

"Hmm… How about this? How many of you have heard of the Temporal Event story?" All of the infants shook their heads, looking at each other in confusion.

"OK. The story is the end, really, but it's a good one. There was a time when the world was in danger of being destroyed, by an evil being, and a Rescue Team set out to stop the world getting destroyed. This story is how they did that. It's about Rescue Team Heroes." The infants looked around excitedly, before focussing on Kangaskhan as she began to tell her story.

"A Munchlax and Chikorita are standing in the middle of a partially ruined temple area… Pillars are at equal distances, some whole, some shattered. In front of them, Dialga sprawled, exhausted. It was at least five times their size, stood on four legs and had dark blue skin with lines of steel running over them, glowing red eyes and a large metal fan on its back. Despite the scratches and bruises covering the two Pokémon, they're clearly still able to battle.

"We… We did it, Jack…" The Chikorita pants, as they stare at Dialga in awe. The Munchlax nods, looking over at the Chikorita with a smile.

"Yeah… We did, Petal… Now let's get the Time Gears into the slot-WAH!" The Munchlax's sentence was cut off, as a huge tremor shook the area, crevasses opening up and the remaining pillars collapsing. The Chikorita turned to the Munchlax, eyes wide with fear.

"This is the worst tremor yet… The Tower must be nearing total collapse…" The Munchlax, nods, before turning to look past Dialga.

"Hurry, Petal! We need to get the Time Gears into their slots, before the planet paralyses!" The two of them ran forwards, despite the heaving floor, and approached a raised area behind Dialga. The Munchlax stumbled to a halt, as the Chikorita ran up to a circular stone inscribed with runes and five indents in it. Despite the shaking floor, the Chikorita manages to finally slot in all five Gears, and steps back.

Suddenly, a severe tremor bowls the Chikorita down the stairs, as the Munchlax runs over to her. They look up at the Gears, the Chikorita stumbling to her feet.

"Why..? Why didn't it work..!? The Time Gears are in place..!" A look of horror spread across her face, as she looked at the Munchlax. His face had a similar look to it, as he stared back.

"Were… Were we too late..? Is the Tower still gonna collapse..?" Before the Munchlax can reply, a severe tremor knocks them off their feet, as purple lightning arcs to the last pillar, destroying it entirely. Before they can react, another strike hits them both.

The two Pokémon cry out in pain, before passing out after a slight struggle to remain conscious through the remaining static from the strike. After several minutes, the Munchlax comes to first. He looks around groggily, before seeing Petal sprawled on the floor.

"Petal..! Petal, are you OK..?!" He runs over to her, gently placing a hand on her side. A groan and slight movement causes him to sigh in relief, as the Chikorita sits up.

"…Urrgghh… I hurt so much…" She suddenly jolted to her feet, looking around with shock.

"Hey, Jack..? Wh… Where..?" Before more can be said, a commanding voice speaks out to them both.

"This is… still Temporal Tower. You are still alive." The Munchlax and Chikorita look down from where they are, towards the area they fought in… To see Dialga standing. With a cry of surprise, both of them run down and quickly assume battle positions.

"Jack..! It's Dialga..!" Before the Munchlax can reply, he speaks again, soothing them.

"You have no cause for alarm. I have regained my reason, now…" The Chikorita blinked, before voicing a question.

"Wha… How..?" Dialga looks at her, before answering.

"Temporal Tower has taken heavy damage… But it has survived. Now, observe." Dialga turned around, looking away from the two smaller Pokémon, before a blast of light emerged from his chest. Suddenly, the temple-like structure was replaced with a large, green field, grass gently waving in the breeze.

"Jack… This is an area that was stopped in time… How..?"

"It's… Petal, it has to be some sort of telepathy… Dialga is showing this to us with telepathy…" The view faded out, to reveal several leafs dripping dew. In the background, a forest is revealed.

"Jack… This is Treeshroud Forest..! But… When we were last there, time had stopped…Time… Time's started again..!" The view dimmed once more, finally brightening to reveal Treasure Town. The view revealed everyone in good health, celebrating.

The view dimmed, finally revealing Temporal Tower. Several large chunks were hanging from its side, floating in mid-air.

"Jack… It's Temporal Tower… It's so damaged, but… But it's still standing! We did it..!" This time, instead of darkening, the view brightened before fading as Dialga ended his telepathy. He was now facing the two Pokémon, before speaking.

"Temporal Tower has survived the crisis… And so time has resumed. Therefore it has resumed in areas where it had stopped… Because you stopped the collapse, you prevented the planet's paralysis… And so saved the world, and restored its peace." The Chikorita grinned, before laughing happily and turning to the Munchlax.

"We did it Jack..! We saved the world..!" The Munchlax grinned, as the two hugged in happiness.

"Yeah, we did..! We finally did it Petal..!" They stopped, turning as Dialga spoke again.

"Allow me to thank you… For finding the Hidden Land, and having the bravery to stand up to my enraged form… And preventing the collapse of the Temporal Tower in the nick of time." The Chikorita nodded, smiling slightly.

"Dialga…" However, her reply was cut off as Dialga spoke again.

"But all is not as it should be yet… I must see to Temporal Tower's repair… The Rainbow Stoneship should have survived, despite the Hidden Land being ravaged. Lapras should be awaiting your return, still…" The Chikorita nodded, turning to the Munchlax.

"OK..! Let's get back to Treasure Town, Jack!" The Munchlax nodded, before the two of them left, walking past Dialga.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The two of them were walking along a rocky path, the Munchlax slightly behind the Chikorita. The Chikorita suddenly turned around, looking at the Munchlax.

"What's the problem, Jack..? Let's hurry." The two of them continued walking, but it was clear from the Munchlax's face that there was a problem. They continued walking for a while, when they were suddenly stopped by a severe shaking.

"Tremors..!" The Chikorita cried out, looking around as they stopped. The ground shook violently, before returning to steadiness.

"Whew… It settled down… I guess… Things are still taking a while to settle back to normal… Let's go, Jack…" The Chikorita kept walking, but the Munchlax suddenly stopped, as a slight golden glow surrounded him. A look of shock, then accepting depression settled over him, and he slumped slightly as the Chikorita called back.

"Hey, Jack..! What is it… What's wrong..?" The Munchlax sighed, before looking gently at the Chikorita.

"…I'm sorry, Petal… I've kept this secret for so long… But, it looks like… I have to say good bye now…" A look of horrified shock crossed the Chikorita's face, as she stepped backwards slightly.

"What?! Goodbye..?! What do you mean Jack..?!" She stepped closer as she spoke, eager for an answer.

"Dusknoir… He told me, when you were at the Rainbow Stoneship… If we changed the future, saved the world… Then the Pokémon of the future would disappear, as time was changed… And… I'm one of them… I was always destined to disappear…" The Chikorita took another step forwards, slight tears forming in her eyes.

"What..!? Wh-Why..?!" The Munchlax shook his head slightly, before smiling at her in a sad manner.

"Thank you… for everything… But I'm going to disappear from this time, now…" The Chikorita's eyes widened, as the golden light changed to slowly rotating globes; ones that she could see now.

"But Petal… I'll never forget you…" The tears now welled up further, as she stepped even closer to the Munchlax, gently placing a paw on his arm.

"W-Wait a second… I-I only made it this far because I had you, Jack… D-Don't you understand..?" Now, the tears gently rolled down her face, tracking clear trails through the fine dust coating her from the tower's near-collapse.

"You made me strong Jack… If you go… I-I don't know… What I would…" The Munchlax gently took her paw in his hands, squeezing it gently.

"No, Petal… You have to be strong still… You have to live your life..! You need to go home… And tell everyone what happened to us here. So that… This never occurs again…" The Chikorita sniffed, leaning against the Munchlax as she sobbed.

"Erk… J-Jack…" The golden orbs increased in number and speed, now partially obscuring the Munchlax. A look of surprise crossed his face, and the Chikorita grabbed onto him.

"D-Don't Jack..! Please, don't… Don't go…" The Munchlax gently hugged her, smiling as he looked her in the eyes.

"Thank you for everything, Petal… I'm glad we got to train together, at the Guild… I'm glad, we had so many adventures together… And most of all… I'm glad, that I got to know you Petal…" The Chikorita sniffed again, gently nuzzling the Munchlax.

"Wait… Jack…" The Munchlax gently nuzzled her back, before speaking.

"I'm sorry… I'm so lucky to have had you as a friend…" Now slight tears were beading in his eyes as well, that the time was drawing near.

"I feel the same, Jack..! To me, Jack, you… You're more important than anything…" The Munchlax gently nodded, speaking in a softer tone.

"Yes… I feel the same, Petal… Even after I'm gone… After I disappear… You'll always be in my memories…" He slowly leaned forwards, placing a gentle, tender kiss on the Chikorita's cheek. Suddenly, he started to flicker in and out of view, the golden orbs swelling to almost completely obscure him now. Then, the orbs expanded, merging, forming a single large globe of golden light around the Munchlax… before it vanished.

As he finally disappeared, the Chikorita stepped into the spot he just left, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"J… Jack… Jack..!" She collapsed on the spot, freely sobbing as tears rushed down her face in a flood of despair.

"J-J… JAACK..!" She lay there for hours, before finally standing and slowly continuing her walk, tears still dripping from her chin to the floor.

"…I… I have to live… I have to get h-home… Get home a-and tell the others… Because i-it's Jack… Jack's last wish…" She came to a slow stop, staring at the end of the rocky path.

"There… There's the Rainbow Stoneship…" The Chikorita continued walking, weaving back and forth as her tears blurred her vision. As she nears the Stoneship, she tripped on a small projection. After a few seconds, she stood, and continued to the Stoneship, turning to look back at where she'd come from.

"Temporal… Temporal Tower is getting… Further, and further away… A-And Jack… I-I'm getting further away from Jack… Oh… Jack…"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Chikorita spent months working at the Guild still, slowly accepting her despair and her partner's loss. And one day, when she'd stopped crying in her sleep, she took a walk to the beach where they first met…

As she walked over the sand, she looked up into the sky, seeing the Krabby's bubbles again. And for the first time since she returned, she smiled with real happiness.

"Oh… Wow. It… It's beautiful…" As she looked out to sea, she saw the bubble catching the sunset and reflecting it, causing hundreds of globes of red, orange and yellow to appear.

"I haven't seen this for so long… It's as beautiful as I remember… I've been too busy, and… Upset, to come here… But… I've missed this incredible sight…" The smile slowly drained from her face, replaced with the now-familiar sadness.

"When I last saw this… It was… It was when I met Jack… The view was like this, then…" Slowly, she turned to her left, looking down the beach to the spot she met her partner… She walked down the sand, approaching a familiar rock projecting from the sand.

"That… That was where I found Jack, unconscious… And we formed our Rescue Team… We began our adventure way back then…" Slowly, she drifted into a set of memories long untouched…

Her and her partner, agreeing to be a team… Returning from missions… Finding the entrance to Waterfall cave, discussing her Relic Fragment, facing Uxie's illusion, the Volbeat and Illumise… The Sabelye and Dusknoir… And the Dark Future… Finally, receiving their Starter kit, and the entrance to the Time Gear dungeons… And the moment's she had been there for him, when he was close to giving up.

Slowly, she sighed before slumping slightly as she stared at the rock.

"I… I remember it all so fondly now… All those memories of me, and Jack… Memories of Jack…" Slowly, her paw raised up, to brush her cheek; a light blush forming as she thought of their last time together… Tears welled up in her eyes, slowly brimming over and down her cheeks.

"But… But now… Jack is gone… A-And Jack isn't here…" With a sob, she collapsed on the sand, tears dripping down her face. She was found by one of her guild mates, who comforted her… And saw it first. A bubble from the Krabby, glowing bright gold… Which expanded besides the rock, and faded to reveal a Munchlax. In seconds, of seeing each other… The Chikorita and Munchlax ran up to each other, hugging and crying in joy.

And then, in that moment… She kissed him. And he returned it to her, just as gently as he had done when kissing her cheek."

"And that, sweeties, is the story of how our world was saved by a Rescue Team, and they prevented the world from being paralysed…" The Kangaskhan smiled, as she finished her story, watching as the younger Pokémon talked amongst themselves eagerly about what they'd just heard. She stopped, and looked down when she was tapped on the leg gently.

"Mrs. Kanga..? What happened to that Rescue Team..? And what are time gears..?" Kangaskhan smiled down at the pup speaking to her; a Growlithe, bright-eyed and eager, his tail wagging furiously. She leant forwards, gently patting him between the ears.

"Well… They continued with their Guild work, although shortly after they passed as a full-fledged Rescue Team… They've a secret area they use as a home, no-one's found it… If you're lucky, then they'll come to help you one day… Although, you shouldn't need them just yet… As for the time gears, they're magical gears which make time flow. If they were taken, as happened, time begins to stop until the whole world would have stopped turning."

Most of the young Pokémon began to talk even more eagerly, when suddenly a Larvitar stood up, letting out a high-pitched roar.

"I am DIALGA..! Fear me Rescue Teams everywhere..!" Within seconds, the other dozen-odd Pokémon had piled onto him, laughing as they play-fought. Kangaskhan smiled, watching them at play, turning around when she heard someone knock on the desk for her shop. She walked over, opening the door as she looked back.

"Behave, kids, I need to help a customer-… Oh, Jack..! How are you..?" Within seconds, every kid there was pouring through the doorway and climbing over the desk to bombard the Pokémon with questions… Only to bounce to the floor in a daze. A large paw scooped down, lifting them up, above Kangaskhan's head, as a large Snorlax peered at them. The kids saw that they were held by a large, rotund, Pokémon with a blue-black body, and tan face, stomach and paws.

"Do you have a problem here, Kangaskhan..? I thought you only had one child…" Kangaskhan laughed, as the kids quailed slightly in the grasp on such a large Pokémon.

"I do only have one, and she's somewhere in the pile on your hand… Now, Jack, set them down. Where's Petal?" Jack smiled, as he lowered his arm and gently set the kids on the desk.

"She's at home, sorting out some stuff. I just came to drop some items off with you… Although, then again, maybe these little ones can help…" He unslung a bag from his shoulder, opening it and reaching in, as deep as his elbow, before withdrawing a closed paw.

"Now… Let me see…" As he re-slung the bag, he gestured to the kids with his free hand.

"Form up into a line, OK?" Within seconds, all of the kids had done so, grinning eagerly at each other. Jack slowly walked along the line, before nodding.

"Yes, it should work. Well, kids, don't tell anyone where you got them from, OK?" Opening his paw, he quickly handed out a Gummi to everyone there; carefully matching them to their types. Suddenly, the bag was pulled from his shoulder by a green vine, as he turned around. The kids stared, as they saw a large, green dinosaur-like Pokémon with a ring of pink petals around her neck.

"Jack, what are you doing to these kids..?" Jack smiled, turning round and hugging the Pokémon with one arm, gesturing to the kids.

"I was just dropping some stuff off, Petal, and I couldn't help but eavesdrop. They were being told of how we beat Dialga, and what came after that…" Petal giggled, nuzzling Jack. Suddenly, the kids gasped as they saw the badge pinned to the bag; a dark grey circle with a line dividing in in half and a solid back, diamond-shaped gemstone that rose above the surface. The circle was flanked by golden wings, and a small golden star was pinned beneath the gemstone.

"Miss Petals? What does that star mean?" The Meganium smiled down at the kids, before extending a vine and tapping it gently. She leant down, glancing around, before whispering to the group.

"It shows that we have what's called a special rank… You see, it allows us to do very special missions; ones that are so tough, no-one else can do them..! These requests for help come from rescue teams as well. Rescue teams that don't need help, but are facing a dungeon so tough they send out a call for back-up..!" The eyes on the kids in front of her widened in awe, before they began talking to each other excitedly.

Kangaskhan walked over, before gently ushering Petals backwards. She smiled, leaning on the counter and taking a small pile of items that Jack had placed upon it. Turning around she opened a large drawer, packing the items away neatly, and closed it before facing the Rescue team once again.

"Thanks for telling them a little bit about your team, but I need to keep them healthy as well. Some of them get loose when excited… And soothing an Oddish who got set on fire by an excited Growlithe is not enjoyable. Tell the kids stories, sure, but please. Keep the excitement tones down, OK? Just enough that there's no accidents." Petals nodded, as Jack took the bag and slung it over a shoulder, hugging her and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, rousing a chorus of 'gross!' from the kids.

"I'll take the mission, Petals. You stay here and keep the kids entertained. I won't take too long, OK?" Petals nodded, nuzzling Jack, before using her vines to move the kids further back.

"I'll come round, OK?" She walked around, carefully stepping over the fence as the infants rushed back around, forming a loose ring around her as she sat down in the tree stump. The infants immediately formed a ragged group in front of her, looking up in awe.

"OK. What story do you want to hear next?" A clamour of voices called out for various tales of Team Heroes Rescue adventures. Set near the back of the group, however, were four Pokémon; a Pichu, a Sneasel, a Poochyena, and a Houndour. They were squaring off at each other, glaring again.

The Pichu was sparking occasionally, and the Houndour was releasing small clouds of ember as it breathed. The Sneasel and Poochyena were facing each other, clearly not as antagonised, but ready to fight regardless. Or at least, they were until Kangaskhan walked over and split them apart.

"I've told you kids before. Don't fight each other." The Pichu looked up, frowning slightly. The Sneasel, however, glared at the Poochyena, which sat down and scratched behind the ear. The Houndour growled angrily, before turning and walking away. The Poochyena hesitated, before following.

"I've already split you four up today… Why do you always bother those two?" The Pichu shrugged, before pointing at the Houndour.

"She keeps picking on us..! Make her stop and we will too!" Kangaskhan sighed, before gently petting the Pichu's head. She looked down at the Sneasel, before asking a question.

"Shade? Is your friend telling the truth?" The Sneasel nodded, before glancing over at the two canines, who were now listening to the tale being told by Petal.

"Yeah. Pyrah and Sandor are always mean to us, because we're brothers…" Kangaskhan smiled at them both, before looking over at Pyrah. She was whispering to Sandor, and they were both giggling to each other.

"Sweeties… Listen to me, OK? Your Eggs were hatched by the same two Pokémon. And they're your mother and father… You are related by family, if not blood, and you should be proud of yourself despite that difference." Sparky nodded slightly, before looking over at Petal. She was re-enacting a fight between herself, Jack and a large, menacing figure by using her vines for silhouettes.

"And then, just before we were beaten, I managed to hit the Groudon with an Energy Ball attack, and it fainted!" The Groudon form reared back, before collapsing to the floor as Petal let the vine go limp. Sparky looked at Shade, before grinning.

"Hey… Shade. We should be a Rescue Team when we're older." Shade smiled, nodded back. He pointed at Petal, before speaking to Sparky.

"Yeah, we should! Let's promise to, Sparky!" Sparky nodded, smiling wider, before the two of them grasped paws together, shaking hard and firm.

"Together, we'll be a Rescue Team! And we'll be the best that we can together!" Shade grinned back, before glancing towards Pyrah and Sandor.

"And then we'll beat them, right? We'll be better and show we aren't weak." Sparky nodded, glaring slightly at the two canines.

"Yeah, we will… And we'll show them who's the best!" The two of them grinned at each other, before walking over and sitting down, ready for the next story to be told.


	2. Chapter 2

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Bounty

OK! Chapter two, people! The previous chapter may have seemed a little off, but that was just to set the scene and stuff. This is officially where the tale of Team Bounty begins! Within this chapter shall begin their official journey as a bounty hunter team; in order to avoid chapters of repetition, I've assumed that after the Paralysis Event, Guild structures altered with an influx of trainees; I've also skipped about six months of their basic training such as items, how to use Wonder Badges, moves, tactics, et cetera, so that we can get straight to the action. I will, however, return to it occasionally in flashbacks for more information.

I do not own anything of Pokémon. If I did, then the games would be severely different.

"Speech"=Talking

*Speech*=Thoughts

-_Speech_-=Telepathy

**Speech**= Rescue/Outlaw fliers

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sparky looked over at Shade, grinning excitedly. It had been several years since they had listened to Petal regaling them with tales of her Teams adventures, and two since they had joined the Guild. Although they had aged and started to perform the roles of a Rescue Team, they had begun to find it repetitive and boring to track down lost Pokémon.

Sparky was now a Pikachu, having evolved a year ago; he was, however, still only as tall as Shade's waist. Shade was still a Sneasel, although taller, and just as thin as before, but there was strength to him as well. He grinned back, before they looked ahead again.

They, and two other Teams that were training as well, had signed up for the Guilds course on Bounty Hunting. They were waiting in the main area, talking amongst their selves, before the course began.

Most of the rescue teams there had chosen to use placeholder names, something to fill the line until they chose a team name proper; one that suited them. According to this, there was therefore Teams IceShock, TreeFire, and HellHound.

Sparky looked over at TreeFire, before smiling slightly at them. The team, consisting of a Bonsly and a Numel, were talking amongst their selves. The Numel smiled back, before glancing at HellHound. Sparky looked at the final team, before shrugging and drawing a fingertip over his neck. The Bonsly grinned, before turning back to the other team member.

"So when do you think Chatot will arrive with our bounties? And why do you wear the band like that..?" Sparky glanced at Shade, before shrugging. He reached up, twisting the end of the Pecha Scarf he'd taken to wearing early on. The loose end was frayed, faded, where he rubbed at it. Shade had the Item Bag slung on rope over his left shoulder, the bag hanging at the opposite hip, and tied round his neck was a Twist Band. Shade had it tied so that it was unfolded from the standard triangle shape, and instead it hung down over his right shoulder to his ankle.

"Not sure. Probably making sure that we can take the bounty easily, or at least someone who isn't career criminal. And this Band still keeps me immune to Attack and Special Attack decreases, and like this, it stops pickpockets and thieves from getting to our item bag." There was a burst of harsh laughter from HellHound, and Sparky glanced over at Pyrah. She was smirking at him, before tilting her head curiously.

"So you're scared to get hurt or robbed, huh? Well, that suits a mouse just fine, timid little things they are… But I never heard of a Sneasel being scared of a little old pickpocket. With luck, you'll get given a bird criminal… Or a snake... Maybe a Fire type instead? As for thieves, you just hunt them down and get back what's yours…" Sparky glared at her, as Shade piped up.

"Oh, so you're not scared, huh? Then how come when I passed your room this morning, it smelt like you had gotten scared and pisse-" Pyrah snarled, snapping her teeth together angrily, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"That was the straw! I got a bunch that had damp and it's started to rot, giving that musty smell! As if I'd get scared of a bounty!" Shade smirked, before Sandor stepped forwards, nudging past Pyrah.

"We've all been here for a year now. We've been training, sure… But we still haven't done much. I remember being told that a new Team would get their Wonder Badges, and straight away be training and gaining ranks… But that was before the whole paralysis event…" The Bonsly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but a lot of Pokémon couldn't do it. There was a lot of strain, what with both training and helping others… I guess that they changed it around. Now, we get the badges, but we're limited to the easy dungeons until we prove we can take on tough ones… And we can't gain ranks until we're authorised as completing basic training." Sandor nodded, as Chatot fluttered down the ladder and hopped over to them, three rolled up sheets clutched in one foot.

"Here you are, trainees. Your ~bounty sheets. They should be good for your level of training." He passed out the sheets, Shade taking and unrolling the one he received, before grinning.

"Score. We've got a bounty to take out in Beach Cave." Pyrah laughed, as she and Sandor unrolled theirs against the floor.

"Please, you got that Dungeon? We've got to take out a thief in Drenched Bluff." Sparky looked over, before grinning at her.

"Well, good luck for you… A Fire type in a Dungeon full of Water? We'll see you back here half-drowned I bet." Pyrah growled angrily, before Chatot flapped his wings agitatedly, cutting them off.

"Enough! You four have never gotten on! Well, enough! You will do these bounties, or I will remove you from the Guild as apprentices!" There were several seconds of silence, before Pyrah sat down and looked pointedly towards Chatot. Sparky shrugged, looking away from her, and Chatot nodded.

"Good. Now, you have your bounties and your items. So far your training has always been battling through Dungeons, which are limited in choice for your safety. In addition, dungeon access is also limited through the rank of your Rescue Team. Your teams have been training, but have been unable to proceed to Bronze Rank. This Bounty hunt will be your final test; pass it, and you will be allowed to advance to a full team status, allowing advanced training and rank ups, as well as ~new Dungeons." Pyrah grinned, before turning and running for the stairs.

"Bronze Rank, here we come!" Sandor followed her, before Chatot shouted at them.

"Wait! I have not finished!" The two canines skidded to a stop, before Sandor walked back. Pyrah followed, scowling slightly. As they re-joined the group, Chatot cleared his throat and resumed speaking.

"The Bounties you have are minor thieves, petty criminals. They aren't career at all, easy to beat. The one thing you should remember is that they will be strong, stronger than the Dungeon they hide in… And you must either bring them back, or the item they stole and the thief. Each of you will receive a length of rope with which to tie them and return them. This rope is at the top, and has a symbol matching your team, as it will be elementally attuned to weaken the criminal and block attacks.

In addition, there will be two torches with the rope for you to take with you. These Dungeons will be dark, and unlike when you accompanied other Rescue Teams for training, there will be no torches carried for you. Dark types will be able to see perfectly fine, as would a Ghost type, and a Fire type may maintain a flame, but unless possessing of an ability such as ultrasound; like a ~Zubat, all others will require a torch.

The most important thing here is that these targets are not feral. They are smart, they are sneaky, and many will not be afraid to injure you severely. For an example there is a Bounty of 50,000 Poke on a duo of thieves who have been known to kill bounty hunters that fail to defeat them. These bounties are not dangerous, but this is why you must always remember who you are hunting. Now, ~good luck." He turned and left, entering the Guild Masters room and closing the door.

"Uh… Did he just say that we'll die if we take on the wrong bounty..?" Pyrah glared at Sandor, before barging him with a shoulder and walking to the ladder.

"It's nothing. We're going to take on a non-career criminal. By the time we reach the full career ones, we'll be strong enough to defeat them." They began climbing the ladder, dashing up its length to the top, as the other two teams followed them. As they reached the surface entrance, two spools of rope were left. Each one had a small symbol on the floor in front of it; one was an electrified snowflake, the other a burning tree. In front of the sign with an electrified snowflake, there were two torches-lengths of wood with a head wrapped in rough fabric.

"Well, good luck guys." Shade called out as the Numel slung the rope over its back; it was plain rope, with a series of dark threads running through it, and some sort of dark haze that could only be seen from the corner of the eyes.

"Thanks, you too. We've gotta take down a Psychic, so I guess we got a Dark-infused rope, huh?" The Bonsly called back to them as the two turned and left. Sparky picked up the final rope, pulling it on so it rested on his left shoulder, and ran down at a diagonal to loop back up at his right hip. The rope they had contained several threads of deep purple, and the rope itself had a sticky secretion on it.

"Poison. We're probably hunting down a Grass type then. I'll take the rope, since I have the Pecha scarf." Shade nodded as he grabbed the torches and slid them into the item bag, the two of them turning and walking down the stairs in front of the Guild.

"Wonder what Pyrah's hunting down?" Shade nodded at Sparky, before looking back at the sheet of paper in his hand.

"Personally, I hope a Fighting type… Something that can beat them both up. As for us, it looks like we hit Beach Cave… Go to the third floor down… And take on a Treeko. Huh. Says here the reward for bringing in the Treeko is 200 Poke… Or at least, that's all we'll see of the reward. We also gotta grab the item he took… A Green Gummi." Sparky nodded, as the two of them began to walk out of Treasure Town. Sparky rubbed at his cheeks, small sparks of static darting from the pouches there, whilst Shade interlocked his claws and pushed his hands out, palm first, cracking the knuckles where his claws joined his hand.

"OK, let's go take down a criminal." Sparky nodded, grinning, as they turned to a dirt path through a forested area. Shortly, it led them to a long, wide, sandy beach, with waves gently lapping at the shore. An occasional pebble marred the otherwise smooth sand, and at the far end of it, a rocky outcrop with a natural entrance.

"There's Beach Cave, Sparky. Shall we get going and bag ourselves a criminal?" Sparky nodded, as the two of them began to walk over the sand. To their left, away from the ocean, several Wingull were perched on some rock outcrops, an occasional cry filling the silence as one took off or landed. After a minute or so, they reached the entrance. Shade glanced back, before grinning.

"Tide's heading out. Looks like we've got a lot of time to spend if we need it." Sparky nodded, grimacing as they entered the Dungeon. A packed sand floor with pools of seawater filled the room they were in, and the walls were smooth at the bottom, running up to become rocky and rough at the ceiling.

"I hate this place… Stupid Dungeon… Remember that time a few months ago when one of the other recruit Teams came here at the wrong time, and the Dungeon flooded behind them?" Shade nodded, chuckling slightly as he did so.

"Yeah, they had to use their Wonder Badges before they drowned. It is stupid though… A cave system hollowed out by the ocean tide into a Mystery Dungeon, only to still flood at high tide. A shame that they dropped out of training after that…" Sparky grinned, as they passed through the main entrance and into a corridor, passing deeper into the rocky cave.

"You only say that because you're a horrible flirt. As soon as you see a female you like-which is invariably all of them-you're there and flirting. Very badly, might I add." Shade scowled, lightly punching Sparky in the shoulder.

"Hey, not true. You see me try Pyrah? Never happening. Because she'd melt me, most likely, too… Besides, I notice that you never try to flirt with any females that you see. None of them your type, or what you like?" Sparky glared at him, before entering another cave and passing straight through to another corridor.

"Hey, I have my type and likes. I just… Haven't met them yet. Wherever they are." He stopped, putting an arm back to stop Shade, as his left ear twitched lightly. He turned to face Shade, whispering lightly to him.

"I hear something ahead… Can't make it out, but definitely movement… Splashing." Shade nodded. Cupping an ear as he heard the sound too, swapping with Sparky and leading the way; past a turn in the corridor that took them to the right and ahead towards another cave. As they progressed, it grew steadily darker within the Dungeon.

"I can't see a damn thing, Shade… Think it's safe enough to light up a torch?" There was a rustle of fabric, before Sparky felt the torch placed in his hand. He held it steady as a series of sparks flew towards it, accompanied by a rough scraping sound; with a small _whoosh_ the head burst into flames, illuminating the tunnel.

"Thanks Shade-… Oh…" Shade blinked, sheathing his claws again, before Sparky discharged a ThunderBolt over his shoulder. There was a cry of pain behind him, and Shade spun round to see a Lileep twitching under the electrical shock. He lashed out, hitting with a Scratch attack, and the Lileep stumbled backwards, collapsing unconscious.

"OK, that might have woken some Pokémon. Let's get moving, and fast." Shade nodded, before he began to run down the corridor, Sparky close behind him. They burst into a third cave, this one long but a lot thinner than the others; ahead of them was a natural, rough-hewn and worn hole.

"There it is!" Shade ran ahead, jumping into the hole, whilst Sparky dashed along and threw his legs out, sliding over the edge. Through the hole was a large drop to the second floor of the Dungeon. Shade, having dived headfirst, rammed his claws into the wall with a heavy _chink_ sound, dragging them through the rock and jerking to a stop. He pulled his claws out, holding the tips to the rock, and sliding down to the floor.

Sparky hit the wall at a slower speed, lower down, but feet first; he crouched against the wall, holding the torch away from a small stream of water running down it, and pushed off, landing on the floor on three legs; the fourth keeping the torch off the floor. Sparky grinned at him, panting slightly.

"I hate dropping through Dungeon floors. Would it kill the Guild to install ladders or something, maybe carve out a natural ladder?" Sparky shrugged, looking up at the ceiling, before standing upright.

"I don't know, maybe they would install ladders or stuff except for the fact that these Dungeons always change? So the ladders would get wrecked. I think the only reason the Map shows a staircase on it when viewed is to keep it simple…" Shade nodded, before he grabbed and pulled Sparky to the side as a blast of water shot through the space, keeping him upright.

"Heads up, Sparky, Gastrodon outside the torch's light radius." Sparky rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Yeah, I never knew he was there, especially with the Water Pulse…" Shade grinned, extending his claws.

"Care to give me a little light?" Sparky shrugged, clamping the torch in his mouth so the flame was to his right and dropped to all fours. He spoke, his voice muffled by the torch.

"How about a lot?" He crouched, before disappearing in a Quick Attack-a flaming line showing his path. He dashed around the room, the light quickly revealing an empty room. Sparky skidded to a stop, teetering at the edge of the cave next to a deep patch of seawater. He pushed up to his rear legs, waving his arms wildly as he struggled to balance, before falling backwards. He took the torch from his mouth, looking towards where Shade used to be.

"Nice one, calling that there's a Gastrodon in the cave. It damn well isn't-" There was the sound of a heavy, resounding impact, before a soaking wet Shade rocketed into the light, slamming down next to Sparky. He sat up, sand clinging to his face, growling angrily.

"We got baited. At least two Gastrodon… Also, Body Slams are annoying. The thing came from the water, so it could be anywhere." Sparky nodded, glancing about.

"Can't see it, and Gastrodon don't swim, they crawl on the seafloor, so I won't hear it until it surfaces. We need to get out of here, and fast. Shade nodded, standing beside Sparky, and the two of them turned to leave. They ran into a corridor, Sparky's torch lighting the walls with a flickering luminescence, before his eyes widened.

"Duck!" He shouted, throwing himself to the floor. Shade glanced backwards, then ahead, glimpsing the pulsing blue of a Water Pulse. He gritted his teeth, sprinting faster-and jumped at the wall. He dug his toes into gaps in the rock, gripping and pushing off to the other side, dropping to hands and feet and crawling down the wall. There was a hiss behind him as the torch extinguished in the water.

"Perfect. Sparky, keep low, I'll deal with this!" He shouted back, continuing to move along the wall. He peered down the tunnel, eyes easily seeing through the gloom around them, and spotted movement.

"Hah!" He jumped to the floor, slashing his claws down-and the punched clean through the Anorith, shattering it. He froze, slowly lifting it and turning it over, seeing a shed shell. He gulped, turning around, seeing nothing. He looked up-and saw a Gastrodon clinging to the ceiling. It peered at him curiously, before letting its grip go and twisted in mid-air. Shade took a single step, before it landed on him with a Body Slam, causing Shade to cry out in pain.

"Get off, slug!" Shade called, as the Gastrodon let out a cry, before rearing up for another Slam attack. Shade rolled onto his back, snarling angrily, and stabbed his claws up into the air as the Gastrodon dropped down. He scythed them together, claws interlinking, and the Gastrodon twisted, falling beside him with a pained cry. It turned around, hurrying away, as Shade kicked the severed limb of the Gastrodon away.

"Be glad you grow those back, jerk!" Shade scowled angrily, digging his claws into the sand to wipe them clean. He brushed the sand away, then pulled the other torch from the item bag and lit it; striking his claws to make a spark. He turned round, seeing Sparky feeling his way down the tunnel towards him.

"Geez. You look like I feel, Sparky…" Sparky glared lightly, before grabbing the torch away. He was soaked from the Water Pulse, and had several bruises over his body.

"Yeah, yeah… Stupid Water Pulse pulsed as it hit the torch and exploded, slammed me into the walls with the impact. I hate it when I get bounced like that… Besides, you don't look to hot either." Shade shrugged, before turning and walking away, Sparky following.

"Well, good. I shouldn't be hot, since I'm an Ice type." Sparky smirked, before frowning and glancing down.

"Why is the floor damp with blood?" Shade let out a short laugh, flashing his claws in the light of the torch.

"Gastrodon may be soft, but they're heavy when they Body Slam. So, I lightened the one that hit me by one of six legs… Or whatever they're actually called." Sparky sighed, before looking behind as they walked.

"Yeah, well, you should have fainted it. When it grows back a new leg, it's gonna have a hell of a grudge against you…" The two of them proceeded into the next cave, Shade pointing ahead.

"There's our next level. Come on, we can take a rest beside it for a minute. I have some berries too, for our wounds." Sparky nodded as the two of them approached and sat beside the hole. Shade reached beneath the band-cloak he wore, pulling a few Oran Berries out. He took one, passing another to Sparky, and returned the others to the item bag.

"Man, I think that Gastrodon threw my back out… It aches like all of my spine got hit with a ThunderWave and it just wore off…" Sparky blinked, biting into the Oran Berry.

"Spine pins and needles? Ouch…" Shade nodded, looking to the side and peering into the item bag curiously, biting half the Oran Berry off. He chewed for a few seconds, swallowing before speaking.

"Damnit… We forgot to stock any Cheri Berries… I can't do a thing about this feeling…" Sparky finished the Oran Berry as Shade did for his own, then spoke again.

"It will probably wear off. I mean, we've taken Body Slams before, right? It just takes a little time for the feeling of numbness to wear off." Shade nodded, smiling as he stood. Sparky rose as well, before looking up at Shade.

"Ready?" Shade grinned at him, extending his claws. There was an energetic, wild look to his grin; not of someone who was enjoying their self, the look seen on a feral Pokémon's face; those who were feeling the thrill of a hunt.

"Ready…" He jumped down the hole, Sparky hesitating slightly before following him. The landed on the sand below, hitting and dropping into a crouch. Shade was on one knee, the other leg braced on a foot with his thigh parallel to the floor, crouched forwards, hands on the sand; Sparky hit feet first, rolling and coming up on all fours. They stood, before the sound of movement came around them.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" Shade looked at Sparky, backing up so they were back to back. He frowned, calling out into the cave; it was large, the torch's light not reaching the walls.

"We're a Rescue Team! We've come to collect the Bounty on you, Treeko! Come quietly, or else!" There were a few seconds of silence, before they heard a rough, random scuttling; the sound of dislodged stones rolling down a wall or slope.

"No way! I'm not coming in! I… I did what I had to, so there! Now leave me alone!" Sparky scowled, clamping the torch in his mouth once more.

"I'll find him, you get him." He crouched, launching into a Quick Attack; once more, lighting the room with the torch and what light it left behind. Shade followed the light, looking ahead and behind, too; his eyes normally saw through darkness, but after so long with a lit torch, he was more able with the light, and had limited night vision distance. He spotted movement above him.

"Sparky! Above!" Sparky jumped, landing on the wall, and bounced up its roughened surface; revealing in the light a Treeko hiding in a small crack in the wall. Shade sprinted forwards, extending his claws eagerly.

"No! Get back!" The Treeko jolted its head forwards, spitting a barrage of large round seeds; Sparky dodged the first few, but quickly got hit and knocked to the floor. The torch spun through mid-air, the handle impaling in the sand and lighting a corner of the room. The Treeko grinned, before his eyes widened as Shade scrambled up the wall and Scratched him.

The Treeko reeled backwards, and its foot slipped; it cried out in shock, and fell backwards from the wall to the floor, landing with a thud. It groaned, slowly standing upright, before a ThunderBolt impacted on it. The Treeko stiffened, crying out in pain, before collapsing forwards with a groan. Shade jumped down, quickly pulling its hands behind its back as Sparky walked over, rope unslung from shoulder.

"Hold him, and be careful." He swiftly tied the rope around the Treeko's wrists, binding its hands together, then proceeded to wrap half the remaining rope around its waist; binding its tail to its back, and pilling its arms too. He tied it off, then hung the rest of the rope around the Treeko's neck in loose coils, the rope hanging down its front.

"Well, that was actually quite easy…" Shade nodded, before unclipping his Explorer Badge. Sparky did so too, and placed a paw on the Treeko. They lifted their badges, with glowed brightly, before teleporting out of the cave.

When the light faded, they were standing outside the entrance to Treasure Town. Shade hauled the Treeko to its feet, before the two of them began to escort the Treeko in. The led it up to the Guild and inside, where Chatot was waiting for them. Pyrah and Sandor were also there, although there wasn't any sign of their target.

"Ah you two! ~Good show. You brought back your target, and in one piece, might I add." Shade pushed the Treeko to the floor, on its knees, before shrugging.

"We got it. But there wasn't any Green Gummi to find." Chatot nodded, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"~Of course not. There never was. The final team is still yet to arrive, but none of your targets are actual thieves. We hired three Pokémon as ~testers. They were to go to the Dungeon floor and fight you as a test; the entire bounty was ~faked!" The bird burst out into laughter, as Shade and Sparky stared. Shade glared, slowly extending his claws, Chatot cutting off mid-laugh.

"You did what to us?! We went through a Dungeon and fought some Pokémon who didn't even put up a fight, for your entertainment?!" Sparky grabbed his arm as Shade stepped forwards, tugging him back. Sandor had stood up, but was hanging back from moving. Pyrah was watching intently, head tilted in curiosity. Chatot fluttered his wings angrily.

"You! You dare threaten me?! I will get rid of you if you keep this up! Always using violence!" Shade bared his teeth, letting loose a snarl of anger, before pointing with a still extended claw.

"I am not threatening. If I was threatening these claws would be around your throat. But I do not-I repeat for you, bird brain-I DO NOT enjoy being made mockery off, or given fake missions! Do this again and the target will come back in pieces!" Shade lowered his arm, retracting his claws as Sparky jerked him backwards, away from Chatot.

"That's it. That's the last straw. The one that broke the Camerupt's back! I'll see you out of this Guild, you and your partner! You're too short tempered, too angry and violent!" Pyrah walked over, stepping between them. Chatot glared at her, before she spoke.

"You know… It isn't fair. You're kicking them out, for raising the same point I did, when our target was in worse condition. I might have to raise it with Wigglytuff that good old Chatot… Isn't such a good guy… And I never saw any threat against you, Chatot." Sandor appeared behind Chatot, silently; ghosting out if a shadow.

"Neither did I… All I saw is an angry outburst, similar to our reaction." Chatot scowled as well as he could, before turning away from them and hopping to the ladder.

"Very well. They stay. But if either if your teams cause one more problem, I'll get you both out!" He climbed down the ladder, Pyrah and Sandor walking away. Sparky ran over, stopping in front of them.

"Wait. I… Thanks. For helping us." Pyrah glared, before lifting her head and walking past him.

"Please. If it were anyone else I'd let them get kicked. But not you two. The only ones who can put you down are me and Sandor. Besides… I hate that bird. Always acting like he's better than us all; I relish the chance to get in his beaky face and force him down." Sandor glanced at Sparky, nodding at him respectfully, before walking away as well.

Shade was leaning against the wall when Sparky approached him, and held up a hand as he opened his mouth.

"I know, I know. I need to control my temper more." Sparky nodded, closing his mouth, and sitting beside Shade. After a few seconds, he sunk down as well, arms wrapped round his knees.

"I know you have a bad temper, Shade. I know you struggle to control it. But you're a better Pokémon than this, I know that you are. All you need to do is keep control." Shade nodded, before sighing and looking out the entrance; the sky was stained red, gold and orange as the sunset proceeded.

"It's been almost a day. Wonder where the other team got to, huh?" Sparky shrugged, before his ear twitched slightly. After a second or so, Pyrah and Sandor walked over, not towards Sparky and Shade, but level with them, facing the entrance. Shade frowned slightly.

"What is-" Pyrah cut him off with a low growl, then spoke.

"Anyone recognise this?" Sandor shook his head, sniffing the air. Sparky shrugged, wiggling a finger in his ear before cupping it.

"I don't know. It's familiar, but… a three-step walk?" Sandor sighed, looking across at them.

"It's Ash. The Numel. I recognise the scent…" Pyrah sniffed, before nodding. Shade slowly stood, stepping forwards. His ears angled forwards, and he frowned slightly as he looked straight out the entrance, not shielding his eyes.

"I see movement. Something at the base of the stairs." Pyrah walked over, standing away from him. She narrowed her eyes in the sunlight, tilting her head and looking down. She frowned, before glancing at Shade.

"Yeah, it is him down there. How did you see him without shielding your eyes?" Shade shrugged, before tapping his head.

"Hey, normally I would be in an icy wasteland if I was feral. I guess my eyes are used to blinding light, since it's all snow and ice up in my natural habitat. But Ash? He's just… I guess it was the fact he's moving. I mean, it's a brown and green against brown and green down there, so if he was still you'd miss him. As for this apparent three legged walk, I wonder what… Happened…" As he spoke, Ash stumbled up the stairs. Sandor ran down to him, along with Sparky, and the two of them helping him up into the entrance where he collapsed.

His rear left leg was badly gashed, and held up off the floor; his body was bruised and cut, and the left eye swollen closed. He was panting, and looked up at them.

"H-Help… Need rescue… Mission… Went wrong… Shade dug into his bag, pulling out two Oran Berries. He helped Ash to eat them, slowly cutting slices out and passing them to the Numel. Once the two Berries were eaten, he managed to speak properly.

"We… Found our target. Defeated it, tied it up… Was bringing it back, when we… Got jumped. Our badges were damaged in fight… The Psychic cracked the gem in them, we… our badges wouldn't teleport us or the Psychic. We were walking back… Attacked by bandits. Took Psychic and partner. I… They left me after several attacks… Have to help partner… Large rocks, on way towards the Dungeon…" His breathing slowed slightly, before he passed out, lying there. Sparky looked around, before dashing for the ladder and diving down. Shade looked at the other two.

"They had damaged rescue badges. That's why they took so long." Pyrah scowled, before looking at Sandor.

"Go into town. Get Poké from our account, buy up all the restoratives you can; berries, elixirs, pp restores, all of it. Drop what you don't spend in the bank and get back. I'll organise where we're going." Sandor nodded, running out of the Guild and down the stairs. Shade glared at Pyrah.

"This is a bad idea. You're a Fire type, and look what happened to Ash. You need some more teams, or at least temporary help. We owe you, for helping us with Chatot…" Pyrah snarled at him, before looking away.

"I stood up for you because I wanted to get at the bird. Not because I want you to stay. You don't owe us anything, now let us go do this. Don't tell anyone, or I will melt you like a pile of Ice in a summers day…" Shade nodded, before looking back as Sparky jumped up again. A moment later, Chatot flew up and landed beside Ash.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear… ~Not good at all… We need to get him downstairs, so he can get treatment. Hurry, hurry! Pyrah, where's Sandor?" Pyrah shrugged, glancing out the entrance.

"He went to see if the Bonsly if down there or not. Don't worry. Chatot, what Dungeon did they go to for their fake mission?" Chatot bristled slightly at the words 'fake mission', but looked at Shade and Sparky.

"You two, get him down to his room. Use attacks to clear a route if you must and to keep them away until Chimecho arrives with medicinal items. Tell them you have permission from me to use those attacks." Shade nodded, carefully grasping Ash's front legs. Sparky pushed at his side, and with Shade, managed to get beneath the Numel's stomach, holding him as Shade took most of the weight.

"OK. Let's go." The two of them started to carry Ash down the stairs, as Chatot turned to Pyrah. He looked past her, before narrowing his eyes.

"Sandor isn't down there. Where is he?" Pyrah looked away, before staring back as she replied.

"He went to gather and buy items. We were asked by the Numel to do a rescue mission for the Bonsly." Chatot blinked, before flapping his wings in agitation.

"No one is to go after the Bonsly. I'll send a proper Rescue Team for this, or perhaps a team of bounty hunters… This is too dangerous for a trainee team…" Pyrah snapped her jaws angrily, before jerking her head towards the entrance.

"That Bonsly could be going through anything! At least send a team or two of smaller Pokemon to scout it, to see what the other team is up against!" Chatot sighed, before shaking his head.

"No. I won't allow it. Now as soon as Sandor gets back, tell him so. I need to go see if Chimecho has started treatment yet." He turned away, fluttering towards the ladder and descending it. As he did so, Sandor appeared.

"Pyrah? What was he saying?" Pyrah stared at the ladder for a few seconds, before turning to Sandor.

"We're gonna go scout out the rocks where the Bonsly was taken. There are three Dungeons we're allowed access to; Beach Cave, Drenched Bluff, and Mt. Bristle. If we had to clear Drenched Bluff, those two idiots had Beach Cave… Numel and Bonsly went to Mt. Bristle." Sandor nodded, turning with Pyrah as she started to walk out of the Guild.

"So we're off to rescue them?" Pyrah nodded.

"We are."


End file.
